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Age is relative for touch football league
(by Steve Novak - October 15, 2008)
Age is relative for touch football league
By STEVE NOVAK
Those who remember the old American Football League might also remember than it only lasted for 10 years as a separate entity. AFL historians might also remember George Blanda, who played in the AFL, moved to the NFL, and played until he was 48 years old.
The Men's 30-and-over Orange Touch Football League has both of those numbers beat. The league is celebrating its 20th season this year and is boasting the oldest player in league history in Don Moore, of Solon, at age 61.
Moore played high school football at Maple Heights High School and then competitively in the U.S. Army. But when Orange resident Paul Takach, the league's president and founder, approached him 20 years ago, Moore jumped at the opportunity, even though he hadn't played football for years. And he's been playing ever since. In a recent playoff game, he caught three extra points.
"It's my philosophy that once you give something up, it's hard to get it back," said Moore, who plays for the Falcons. "My father played softball until he was 85 years old. I figured, why shouldn't I be doing this?"
The league dates back to 1988. Takach had retired after several years of playing semi-professional football for the Cleveland Falcons, a now-defunct franchise. He soon found out he missed playing football, and he contacted the Orange Recreation Department.
"I asked them, 'Do you have a touch football league?' Takach recalled. "They said, 'No.' So, I asked them, 'Do you want to start one?' And they said, "Sure.'
"It's fun, but it's competitive," Takach said. "We mostly have good ballplayers, and not crazy guys who think it's NFL Sunday."
Takach initially found enough Sunday warriors to form eight teams in the touch football league. Over the years, the league has fluctuated between four and eight teams. This year, there are four teams, but Takach said he's always looking for more teams to join the league.
Takach's team is called the Falcons. The three other teams are Pizzazz, Mercer Enterprises and Wino. The Falcons, much like the Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears of the NFL, trace their history to the beginning of the league.
When Takach began the league, he talked several of his former semi-pro teammates to join him on Sundays. That infusion of talent was combined with other local players who had a good deal of talent themselves. The league has had its share of semi-pro players, along with former college and high school athletes.
Takach, 57, is the second oldest player on the Falcons.
Moore recalled a game several years ago when all four members of the Falcons' backfield were older than 40. Their opponent one Sunday was a team mainly composed of high school-age players.
"We had a combined age of 160 years in that backfield," Moore said. "We're playing high school kids, and we beat them. At the end of the game, the kids came over to us and said, 'Next time, we're going to bring our fathers with us.'"
So, far the team hasn't come back with their fathers. But in the meantime, life goes on in the Orange Touch Football League. The Falcons finished the regular season in first place entering the playoffs. Games are played Sunday mornings beginning at 9 across the street from the Orange schools campus.
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